This invention relates to an on/off switching device for an electric apparatus or component that is powered by at least one battery, and to a method for the on/off switching of such an electric apparatus or component.
Incorporating and operating an on/off switch often poses a problem especially in the case of a miniaturized electric apparatus or of electronic micro-equipment. Therefore, given the lack of space, apparatus of that type and especially battery-powered designs are often supplied without an on/off switch, so that the power must be turned off by removing the battery from the unit. This is done for instance by opening the battery compartment, taking the battery out and storing it away from the apparatus.
Since in the case of miniaturized devices the battery is usually quite small as well, storing it becomes a near-impossibility and any handling such as its reinstallation is an extremely complicated matter. There is also a very good chance that in the process the battery is installed the wrong way.
It is therefore the objective of this invention to find a solution to the problem described above.
The proposed solution consists in mounting and retaining the battery in a rotatable battery holder which, when turned, connects or disconnects the battery poles with/from the circuit contacts, thus switching the apparatus on and off, respectively.
The battery holder is preferably so designed that, together with the battery, it can be rotated out of the battery compartment, allowing the battery to be removed and preferably also turned in the mount and to be repositioned in the compartment with the connection between its poles and the corresponding circuit contacts interrupted or reversed.
In another preferred design version the battery can be turned in, or with, the extended battery holder by about 180xc2x0 so that, when the holder is rotated back into the battery compartment, the battery poles are reversed.
It is further proposed to include in the circuitry of the electric or electronic apparatus or component at least one element which permits the electric current to flow in one direction only so that, when the battery poles are reversed, no current flows through the unit. That element may for instance be a diode circuit or some other suitable element such as an integrated circuit chip.
The battery holder may be cup-shaped, for example, and so designed that when the battery is turned within the holder, it rests against at least two points on the perimeter of the cup, with protrusions provided on that perimeter to prevent the battery from falling out as it is turned. The cup is preferably made from a flexible or elastic substance such as a polymer material.
The battery holder may for instance be of a two-part design, including a flexible or elastic cup-shaped part which allows the battery to be turned, and a largely rigid, lid-shaped part to which the cup is attached and which connects in pivotable fashion to the electric apparatus via a hinge pin. This type of two-part battery holder may be produced for instance by two-component injection molding whereby both the elastic polymer material and the largely rigid polymer material are molded in one simultaneous process.
Also proposed is a method, as specified in claim 8, for the on/off switching operation of a battery-powered electric or electronic apparatus or component. According to the invention, this method is characterized in that, for switching the apparatus or component off, the battery is held in a mount which is rotated out of the battery compartment, the battery is turned about 180xc2x0 while the mount is extended, and the battery is then reinserted in the battery compartment with its poles reversed.
The device according to this invention and the method for operating it lend themselves particularly well to the on/off switching of miniaturized units such as hearing aids where for reasons such as dimensional constraints it is difficult to install an on/off switch.